1. Duke: All five starters are gone, but the Blue Devils welcome three of the best — perhaps the three best — freshmen in the country. They’ll need time to coalesce, but once they do, watch out. If Zion Williamson’s eligibility is impacted, that could change … Eh, who are we kidding: No way the NCAA renders a Duke star ineligible.

2. Gonzaga: The most talented team of Mark Few’s tenure features a Lottery lock in forward Rui Hachimura and a slew of playmakers inside and out, from returnees Zach Norvell and Killian Tillie to transfer Brandon Clarke. Senior point guard Josh Perkins is an experienced conductor. Final Four, here they come.

3. Kansas: Loads of attrition, but the Jayhawks add several top prospects and three high-level transfers: The Lawson brothers from Memphis (Dedric and K.J.) and Cal guard Charlie Moore. Given recent developments in the courtroom, however, it’s worth wondering about the NCAA hammer falling on Lawrence prior to March.

4. Virginia: This ranking is not an endorsement of the Cavs’ chances once the Madness begins, but rather a projection of their regular season: No coach does it better than Tony Bennett from November through February. With Kyle Guy and Ty Jerome back, the Cavs are set for another run at the ACC title.

5. Kentucky: Few tasks are more difficult in college basketball than tracking Kentucky’s roster from one year to the next. But this much we know: Stanford transfer Reid Travis will add toughness and interior scoring that should have a ripple effect through the lineup. And yes, the incoming class is loaded.

6. North Carolina: Sure, the Tar Heels lost two key pieces (Joel Berry and Theo Pinson), but I fully expect them to win 24+ games for the ninth consecutive season with the combination of Luke Maye, Kenny Williams and freshman Nassir Little.

7. Tennessee: Five starters return from a team that won 26 games. The group includes Grant Williams, the SEC player of the year. Position represents a significant improvement from my April projections (15th) because the stability in Knoxville contrasts with attrition elsewhere.

8. Virginia Tech: Sleeper pick. Coach Buzz Williams brings back all but one of his top scorers (wing Justin Bibbs) and should have the best team of the ACC’s second tier, which would be the first tier everywhere else.

9. Villanova: Jay Wright’s crew dropped from No. 1 in my April rankings due to departures of Jalen Brunson and Mikal Bridges, but the Wildcats have a solid returning core with Phil Booth and Eric Paschall (20 pig combined). And crucially: The system won’t change.

10. Syracuse: Tyus Battle’s return is the primary reason for the 12-spot improvement over the Orange’s early-April position. The offense can’t be worse than it was last season, when SU won 23 games.

11. Michigan State: Hit hard by attrition (Jaren Jackson and Miles Bridges) but the backcourt tandem of Cassius Winston and Joshua Langford will lead another run at the Big Ten title. Fewer Lottery Picks could mean better cohesion.

12. UCLA: The return of point guard Jaylen Hands and, more significantly, wing Kris Wilkes makes the Bruins the team to beat in the Pac-12. The arrival of big man Moses Brown makes them a threat for a deep run in March.

13. Auburn: Another representative from a conference known for its basketball, this one in possession of three returning starters from a team that won 26 games. No. 13 in the land but only third-best in the SEC.

14. Nevada: We’re by no means doubting the talent (four returning starters and impact newcomers). But the expectations, internally and externally, are completely different after the Sweet 16 run. How will the Wolf Pack handle the changing dynamics?

15. Kansas State: An Elite Eight team that returns all five starters and its coach (Bruce Weber)? If anything, we’ve got the Wildcats too low. But as we noted with Nevada, the same roster doesn’t guarantee it’s the same team. Chemistry changes.

16. Oregon: One of the best incoming classes in the country (Bol Bol, Louis King) merges with several key returnees (Payton Pritchard, Kenny Wooten, Paul White) to give the Ducks an elite starting five. How quickly will the cohesiveness form? And is there enough quality depth?

17. Louisville: Chris Mack, hired away from Xavier, is one of the nation’s top coaches. If the Cardinals avoid NCAA sanctions during the season, they could be a factor in the postseason.

18. Notre Dame: Another sleeper pick. Bonzie Colson’s departure is a major hit, but the established system under Mike Brey will provide the platform for a bounce-back season.

19. Michigan: The national runner-up lost several key pieces, including big man Moritz Wagner, but there’s more returning that you might think. That list starts with coach John Beilein, who has taken the Wolverines to at least the Elite Eight three of the past six seasons.

20. Maryland: Three returning starters plus an impact recruit (forward Jalen Smith) make the Terps one of the favorites in the Big Ten. In fact, they might be the best team not from Michigan.

21. Loyola: We’re not sure about another deep run in March, but the Final Four participant warrants more than a morsel of respect with three returning starters.

22. Washington: Everyone of consequence is back from a team that won 21 games, and the group includes several players with NBA potential in guard Jaylen Nowell, wing Matisse Thybulle and big man Noah Dickerson.

23. Texas: Another sleeper pick. The collective returning production should offset the loss of Mo Bamba to the NBA.

24. LSU: Coach Will Wade has been dragged into the corruption scandal, but if AP ballots were based on ethics, they wouldn’t have more than six or seven schools listed.

25. Purdue: Hammered by attrition, the Boilermakers return one starter, guard Carson Edwards, who just might be the top player in the nation.

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Jon Wilner has been covering college sports for decades and is an AP top-25 football and basketball voter as well as a Heisman Trophy voter. He was named Beat Writer of the Year in 2013 by the Football Writers Association of America for his coverage of the Pac-12, won first place for feature writing in 2016 in the Associated Press Sports Editors writing contest and is a five-time APSE honoree.

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